Manitoba splits the titles: psychologist needs a doctoral degree and two years of supervised practice, psychological associate (independent practice) needs a master's and four years. Both run through PAM candidate registration — $400 application fee, $1,200 annual candidate fee — the EPPP at 500, a jurisprudence examination, and an oral examination.
Applies in: Manitoba
Written November 14, 2026
Decide your title first, then register as a candidate with the Psychological Association of Manitoba (PAM) before you begin practising. A psychologist needs a doctoral degree and supervised practice equivalent to two years; a psychological associate seeking independent practice needs a master's degree and at least four years of supervised practice. Both routes pass the jurisprudence examination, the EPPP at 500, and an oral examination before a certificate authorizing autonomous practice. PAM's [Candidate Application](https://www.cpmb.ca/documents/Candidate Application.pdf) is the document that carries the Manitoba steps, fees and timelines set out in this guide.
This guide walks the Manitoba routes only. Manitoba's doctoral psychologist title beside a master's-level psychological associate title, and its candidate-first sequencing, are not Ontario's or Saskatchewan's arrangements with different paperwork.
The Psychological Association of Manitoba is the regulatory body for the practice of psychology in the province. Two rules shape everything that follows. First, individuals must be registered with PAM before beginning the practice of psychology in Manitoba. Second, supervision hours count for registration only after three conditions are met together: you are formally approved as a candidate for registration, you have completed all the requirements for your graduate degree (with doctoral transcripts arranged to be sent to PAM; a letter from the program confirming the conferral date may be emailed in advance), and a signed agreement from an approved supervisor is in place. An approved supervisor must hold an equivalent graduate degree to the candidate's, or a higher one.
Registration with PAM requires applicants to hold, or be enrolled in, a master's or doctoral psychology degree program acceptable to PAM Council.
Candidacy standing. The status of a Psychologist Candidate requires continued enrolment in a doctoral program in psychology, or completion of the doctoral degree while actively working toward the remaining registration requirements. Candidate status is not intended to be a long-term supervised practice designation, and following completion of the doctoral degree, candidates are expected to complete all remaining requirements within two years.
Supervised practice. Supervision by a registered supervisor for a period equivalent to two years. One year of full-time experience normally involves a minimum of 1,500 hours of acceptable professional activity, and 100 hours of direct supervision must be documented each year, for 200 hours of direct supervision in total. One year of supervision must be post-doctoral, following completion of the doctoral degree; the other year may come from a pre-doctoral internship. Educational activities or staff meetings not directly related to client care, that do not result in information being added to a health record, may not be counted as supervision.
The degree. Master's-level candidates must have completed a master's degree in psychology. The candidate application adds a dated change: the degree must contain a research component and a master's thesis to be eligible, and that requirement applies to candidates who graduate with an MA degree in psychology after August 30, 2027.
Supervised practice. To be eligible for independent practice, a master's candidate must be in supervised practice for at least four years, stated in the supervision section as four years post-degree or a total of 400 hours of individual supervision, and must complete all remaining requirements within six years.
The supervised-practice category. The application also lists a Psychological Associate (Supervised Practice) category, for degrees where independent practice is not available. Which category your degree supports is a PAM decision on your file, not a choice to assume at application.
Supervision mechanics shared by both routes. Appraisal forms must be submitted every six months during candidacy. Supervision hours are recorded on the Record of Hours form and submitted, fully met, with the oral exam application. Up to 25% of supervision can be obtained in group supervision: time discussing your own cases counts as individual supervision at full credit, while observing supervision of someone else's work counts at half credit. Up to 25% of individual supervision can be asynchronous — the time a supervisor spends making detailed comments on your work, such as feedback on an assessment report, which you then review.
Submit the fillable [Candidate Application form](https://www.cpmb.ca/documents/Candidate Application.pdf) by email only to the PAM office address given on the form. The application fee is $400, non-refundable, payable by cheque to the Psychological Association of Manitoba or by e-transfer as the form directs.
The checklist the form sets out:
Complete applications, including supporting documents, received by the first of the month (except August) are reviewed at the next scheduled monthly meeting of the Registration & Membership Committee. Applications missing documentation, or requiring follow-up, are deferred to a future meeting. An application for registration expires after one year, and lapsed applications and supporting documents are destroyed. The annual candidate registration fee is $1,200, prorated based on approval date. PAM's two documents disagree on that annual fee: the Candidate Application states $1,200 in its Appendix 2 for internationally educated applicants, while PAM's separate Information for Internationally Educated Psychology Applicants document states $1,100, also prorated based on approval date. This guide carries the Candidate Application's $1,200 as the headline figure because that form is the operative application document; confirm the amount in force with PAM before you pay.
Competencies and client populations are not self-declared at the end. The Registration & Membership Committee approves competencies when it reviews oral exam applications, based on the title of your degree, coursework, research, practicum, internship and supervised experience.
Jurisprudence examination. An open-book online examination candidates must pass to obtain a certificate of registration authorizing autonomous practice. It has 50 multiple-choice items and focuses on legislation, standards and the code of ethics applicable to the practice of psychology in Manitoba. Candidates are encouraged to sit it earlier in candidacy, to become familiar with the relevant policies and standards.
EPPP. Passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology is required for a certificate authorizing autonomous practice in Manitoba. The EPPP assesses foundational knowledge related to the practice of psychology, and the passing score is 500. To register for either the jurisprudence examination or the EPPP, contact the PAM office; the application directs you there and to the payment link on the PAM website.
Oral examination. The last step in becoming registered to practise autonomously. To sit it, you must have fulfilled all candidacy requirements, and your supervisors must indicate readiness for autonomous practice in all rating categories on the final work appraisal. Oral examinations are held over Zoom. Oral exam applications are reviewed in January, April and October, and examinations are held from October to June each year — none are held in July, August or September. Scheduling depends on the availability of three psychologist examiners and the applicant: January deadline applications are scheduled January to March, April deadline applications April to June, and October deadline applications October to December.
The candidate application opened for this guide states the $400 application fee and a $1,200 annual candidate registration fee in its internationally educated applicants appendix. PAM's separate internationally educated information document states a different annual candidate figure, $1,100, so confirm the annual candidate fee in force with PAM before you budget; this guide carries the candidate application's $1,200 figure in its steps above. The Candidate Application states examination fees only in its Appendix 2 for internationally educated applicants — jurisprudence examination $200, EPPP $700 USD, oral examination $600 — and does not state those fees as general candidate fees outside that appendix, and the opened pages do not state the annual fee for full registration after candidacy, so this guide gives no general examination fee figures and no full-registration fee figure. It also does not promise how quickly a deferred or followed-up application will be heard beyond the monthly committee cycle described above. Check the fee and payment information on the PAM website when you apply.
The Psychological Association of Manitoba (PAM). PAM is the regulatory body for the practice of psychology in Manitoba and is legally constituted to register or certify psychologists for practice in all service settings, except settings exempted by provincial legislation. Individuals must be registered with PAM before beginning the practice of psychology in Manitoba.
The psychologist title sits at the doctoral level: registration as a psychologist follows a doctoral degree in psychology and supervised practice equivalent to two years. A master's degree in psychology leads to the psychological associate route. PAM's candidate application names three categories: Psychologist Candidate (Doctoral Level), Psychological Associate Candidate, Independent Practice (MA Level), and Psychological Associate (Supervised Practice) for degrees where independent practice is not available.
Doctoral candidates: supervision by a registered supervisor for a period equivalent to two years — one year of full-time experience normally involves a minimum of 1,500 hours of acceptable professional activity — with 100 hours of direct supervision documented each year, 200 hours in total. One year of supervision must be post-doctoral; the other may come from a pre-doctoral internship. Master's-level candidates: four years of supervised practice post-degree, or a total of 400 hours of individual supervision. Up to 25% of supervision can be group supervision, and up to 25% of individual supervision can be asynchronous.
Three. The jurisprudence examination, an open-book online 50-item multiple-choice examination on legislation, standards and the code of ethics for practice in Manitoba. The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), with a passing score of 500. And the oral examination, the last step, held over Zoom, which a candidate may sit only after all candidacy requirements are fulfilled and supervisors indicate readiness for autonomous practice in all rating categories on the final work appraisal.
The candidate application fee is $400 and non-refundable, payable by cheque to the Psychological Association of Manitoba or by e-transfer as the application directs. The annual candidate registration fee is $1,200, prorated based on approval date. An application for registration expires after one year, and lapsed applications and supporting documents are destroyed.
A Criminal Record with Vulnerable Sector Search, available through your local police or RCMP detachment, plus Child Abuse Registry and Adult Abuse Registry checks. Three current references, sent directly from psychology providers registered for independent practice who are familiar with your work. Official transcripts mailed or emailed directly to PAM from all undergraduate and graduate degrees, two pieces of government-issued photo identification, a current CV, proof of English language proficiency where it applies, and supervisor agreements for each registered PAM supervisor.